'Walk like a penguin': Older Minnesotans' experiences of (non)therapeutic white space

Therapeutic landscapes represent a lively field of inquiry in health geography. The health benefits of green and blue spaces feature prominently across this literature, and generate rich understanding of how it feels to encounter and move through natural environments. Juxtaposed against an abundant scholarship on green and blue (and growing attention to broader 'palettes of place' including grey and brown landscapes), white spaces - environmental snow and ice - have yet to be investigated. Research on everyday experiences of snow and ice is limited, particularly for older adults potentially more vulnerable to climactic conditions given health and mobility limitations. This study aimed to characterize white space impacts on the perceived well-being of older adults. Interviews were conducted with community-dwelling men and women (n = 125, mean age 71 years) in the Minneapolis metropolitan area from June to October 2015. Extended participant observation with a sub-sample of participants (n = 6, mean age 71 years) was conducted from September 2015 to August 2016. Qualitative thematic analyses of participant statements, experiences, and understandings of harsh winter weather conditions illuminated how white spaces can both promote and diminish physical, mental, and social well-being. White spaces were fluid and relational, with potentially therapeutic effects uniquely negotiated by each participant. The findings conceive of therapeutic landscapes as contradictory spaces that can simultaneously heal and harm. The paper enriches knowledge of how (non)therapeutic landscapes operate through dynamic, embodied, and emotional geographic experiences. Articulations of ambiguity and nuance inherent to therapeutic landscapes throughout the paper deepen understanding of social determinants of health.